Donna Joanne Hall (Bahl), loving mother and widow, died at 86 years old on January 31, 2021 from complications of Covid-19 at Holy Cross Hospital in Granada Hills, California.
Donna was born in Parsons, Kansas to John and Olive Bahl.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother James (Bud), sister Virginia (Ginny), and sister Patricia (Patty) and her husband, Eugene Hall, who preceded her by two days.
She was survived by her son Allen Hall, daughter Kathryn Hall and her husband Robert, grandchildren Melissa Toole, Michael Toole and his wife Stephanie and 3 great grandsons and also her brother Eugene Bahl and wife Betty Jo and several nieces and nephews.
Donna graduated in 1953 from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles, California. After high school Donna worked at Gilfillan Radar Development and Manufacturing Company (later bought by ITT in 1964) where she met her future husband, Eugene Hall. They were married on April 16,1955 at The First Lutheran Van Nuys Church.
Eugene and Donna bought their home in 1957 in Granada Hills, California and raised their family there and stayed in that home their entire married life together. Donna worked in an insurance agency owned by her sister-in-law Marylin Hall from when her son entered high school until she retired. She was known as one of the few original owners in the neighborhood and after she retired, Donna and her husband would take daily walks around the neighborhood, stopping to chat with all the neighbors. They did this for many years until Eugene started to suffer with Alzheimer’s disease and she became his full time caretaker.
Donna became a longtime member of Our Savior’s First Lutheran Church in Granada Hills, California in the early 1960’s. She served as a member of the PTL, was on Altar Guild, was a Sunday school teacher and played piano and the organ for the choir and many other church functions for many years. She had a strong faith in Jesus and happily served.
Donna was a talented musician. She learned to play the violin when she was 4 years old. Around that time, the family moved from Kansas to California. After a couple of years in school, she had a teacher take note of her musical abilities. The teacher came to the home to persuade her mother to get her involved with learning piano. She told her mother she has perfect pitch and a natural ability. It was a stretch but the family bought an old upright piano and she started lessons. She took lessons until she finished high school. Her music teacher was not happy that Donna did not want to tour as a concert pianist, she loved classical music, but had no interest in touring.
As a young mother, Donna enjoyed raising her kids, gardening and a little sewing. She loved being very creative wrapping Christmas presents when her kids were young, using glitter and ribbon and old Christmas cards. She kept a Christmas card list and sent out countless cards over the years until her later years where she was caring for her husband full time. She tried to always remember birthdays and anniversaries and enjoyed having large family dinners. She loved fixing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. She would start setting the table days ahead with all her pretty linens, dishes and centerpieces. Serving a big meal with lots of leftovers to share with everyone made her very happy.
She was truly a virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 and is much loved and greatly missed until we are together again in heaven.
No services were held due to Covid-19 restrictions. A private memorial with family was held. Buried in Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, California
